Kaduna Lawyer Asks Court To Release Arrested NNPC Staff

A Federal High Court sitting in Kaduna was yesterday asked to order the release of Alhaji Aminu Mahmoud Dembo, the staff of the Kaduna Refinery and Petrochemical Company (KRPC) that was arrested by soldiers at his Zaria residence over alleged links with Boko Haram.

The request was made by Barrister AbdulRa’uf Atiku from Yahaya Mahmood and Co. chambers.

Barrister Atiku urged the court in the application to restore his client’s fundamental human rights, as, according to him, Dembo was arrested illegally.

The affidavit said: “soldiers came to Dembo’s house at Unguwar Tanki, Kwarbai quarters in Zaria city on October 3 and the plaintiff thought that they were armed robbers in view of the sporadic gunshots which scared him and his family. As a result, the plaintiff phoned his elder brother, Alhaji Umaru Dembo, requesting him to inform the police to come to his aid.

“The Assistant Commissioner of police in charge of Zaria confirmed to Alhaji Umaru Dembo that it was not armed robbers but rather, members of the JTF who were conducting operation in the area…. Despite complying with instruction, the soldiers stripped him naked in the presence of onlookers and neighbours and subsequently threw an explosive device on the roof of the applicant’s house, which pierced into the house and injured one of the applicant’s wives, Shamsiya, and the applicant’s daughter, Fatima Zaharaú.

“Therefore, we are asking for the release of our client and a declaration that his arrest and detention is illegal, unlawful and unconstitutional, null and void. In addition, we are asking for the sum of N300 million to be paid by the respondents as special and general damages for the building and other properties that were destroyed during the raid on October 3.”